1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for a heating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a known control device has a thermostat which makes possible the selection of various heating programs or the setting of certain heating element temperatures at certain daytimes and nighttimes, via an operating unit having an input keyboard. In this instance, the thermostat is fed by an energy source which is usually developed as a battery or an accumulator. Conditioned upon this, a certain maintenance or care effort is required so as to keep the energy source continuously charged, so that the control device keeps functioning at all times.
For the energy-efficient heating of a building, it is particularly necessary that each room be always heated only to the desired or required temperature, this temperature being able to vary with the time of day as well as, for example, the course of days. Thus, for example, in the case of rooms used for business purposes, it is usually not necessary to heat them on the weekend. Considerable energy savings may be achieved using targeted temperature regulation, in which the rooms of a building are regarded within the scope of an overall energy management.
Furthermore, it is known from a publication of the Fraunhofer Institute, of Feb. 6, 2009, that, using the temperature difference between a body and the room temperature, one may operate a voltage transformer that is developed as a semiconductor component. This semiconductor component generates a certain electrical energy in this context, using which a clock or the like may be driven.